Eye Care, You Care
Eyes, you see, are a very important part of our kids’ bodies—definitely worth looking after (pun intended). So we gathered up a little need-to-know on taking care of our little peepers’ peepers:
Examining the Exam
Ideally the first eye exam takes place at six months, where optometrists will look for abnormalities of the eye, large differences between the two eyes and ocular problems that occur during early childhood such as lazy eye or crossed eyes. The next exam should be done around age three, when optometrists can get a good sense of a child’s overall visual system and ocular health, and deal with any problems that might disrupt the proper development of the visual system. At the very latest, all kids should have had at least one full eye exam before starting school, since undiagnosed visual problems can impede a child’s ability to learn visually and progress at school. The good news—annual optometrist visits for children are covered by provincial health plans. Consult with your family doctor as to when the best time for a visit for your child would be.
What to ‘Watch’ For
While the vast majority of childhood eye conditions have no signs that would be visible to parents, squinting, excessive eye rubbing, turned eyes, complaints of headaches and poor coordination are definite reasons to schedule an eye exam with an optometrist. Many pediatric eye conditions are treatable when caught early, but if they are not addressed, they can prevent proper development of one or both of the eyes.
Protecting from the Sun
All children should wear sun protection for the eyes as much as possible, as UV light damages the tissues of the eye, damage which is cumulative over time and can lead to serious eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration later on in life. (We know, we know, it’s just one more thing to think about…but just think that when we were kids we didn’t wear sunscreen either.) If glasses really aren’t practical with your brood, a wide-brim hat or baseball cap is the next best thing.
When purchasing children’s sunglasses, ensure they protect against UVA and UVB (the label should read UVA/UVB or UV400) and that the lenses are made from polycarbonate, which is shatterproof and thus safer than plastic. (We found a good selection of well-priced kids’ shades at Mountain Equipment Co-op and some very stylish and safe ones at brand-new eyescreamshadescanada.com.)
Fun’s Fun ‘til Someone Loses an Eye
Your mom was right when she cautioned you against getting poked in the eye—more than half of all eye injuries occur in people under the age of 25 and 90% of all eye injuries could have been prevented—so it’s important to take a few precautions to help with eye safety:
- Always insist that children wear protective lenses when participating in sports. Look for equipment approved by the Canadian Standards Association and lenses made from polycarbonate.
- When an eye injury does occur, it is always best to have an ophthalmologist or other medical doctor examine the eye as soon as possible. The seriousness of an eye injury may not be immediately obvious.
- ‘Eye-safe’ your house by keeping sharp objects and chemicals out of children’s reach.
- In case of exposure to dangerous chemicals, read the instructions for eye exposure on the label, rinse for several minutes with water, then go to your optometrist or your local emergency room as soon as possible. For easier and more effective rinsing, have an eyewash bottle or a bottle of sterile saline (available at your local drugstore) in the medicine cabinet.
- Teach kids to transport sharp objects such as pencils, forks or scissors safely by keeping the sharp end pointed down and always walking, not running, and to be aware that even common household items such as bungee cords and rubber bands can cause eye injury.
- Avoid projectile toys such as darts and bows and arrows (and we won’t even mention the BB guns of old).
- Do not allow children in the yard when a lawnmower is in use as stones and other debris thrown from moving blades can cause eye injuries.
- Do not allow children to light fireworks or stand near others who are doing so.
- Demonstrate the importance of protective eyewear to children by always wearing it for sports, using power tools and other potentially eye-dangerous activities.
We all agree that the eyes have it…so let’s look out for them.